Unemployment rate in Bahrain
Bahrain: Unemployment rate was 1.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Unemployment rate in Bahrain, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment rate in Bahrain is 1.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Bahrain peaked at 1.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1993.
That places Bahrain 180th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.0% | — |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -7.5% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -8.9% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +14.2% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | +12.7% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +5.4% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +5.6% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | +7.1% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | +45.0% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -12.3% |
| 2022 | 1.3% | -18.3% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -17.1% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +3.3% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 1.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 22% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 1.1% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.0%, 12% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate in Bahrain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +45.0% | 1.2% | 1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More work & labour data for Bahrain
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.6429 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.5388 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.7788 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5428 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 2,169 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 158.19 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,342 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,748 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,090 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate in Bahrain?
- Unemployment rate in Bahrain was 1.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1993.
- How does Bahrain rank for unemployment rate?
- Bahrain ranks 180th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.